In an attempt to reduce costs after a record loss of £401m for 2008, BA asked staff to volunteer to work without pay for up to a month. 800 people have agreed to do so, while 4,000 will take unpaid leave and 1,400 will work part-time.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8119388.stm However management and unions have not agreed over a proposed 4,000 job cuts, and a major strike is possible.http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=aO0ww067bVSc

On July 10, 2009 a Brtiish Airways 747 was evacuated shortly after leaving the departure gate in Phoenix, Arizona after smoke appeared in the cabin. No-one was hurt, and passengers praised the professionalism of the crew.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8145686.stm

• Fleet Size: 240
• London Stock Exchange: BAY.L
• Annual sales (2007): $16.66 billion
• Year Established: 1924
• Industry: Aviation
• Frequent Flyer Program: BA Miles
• Alliance affiliation: Oneworld
• Reservations: 1-800-247-9297
• Phone: +44-870-850-8503
• Fax: +44-20-8759-4314
• HQ: Waterside, Harmondworth, United Kingdom
• Chairman: Martin F. Broughton
• CEO: William M. Walsh
• CFO: Keith Williams
• Staff: 43,501
• Subsidiaries: BA CityFlyer, OpenSkies

• 1924: Imperial Airways founded as merger of four smaller airlines
• 1935: British Airways Ltd. founded as merger of other smaller airlines
• 1939: British Airways and Imperial Airways nationalized as British Overseas Airway Corporation (BOAC)
• 1974: BOAC and British European Airways combined to form British Airways
• 1976: Partnered with Air France, flies first supersonic Concorde flight
• 1987: Airline privatized
• 1993: British Airways purchases 25% stake in Qantas
• 2000: British Airways cancels all Concorde flights after crash in Paris